If you have been derailed from reaching a goal, you’re not alone. Research has shown, for example, that most people fail to reach their New Year goals. People give up on their goals for many reasons, such as lack of willpower or having vague goals.
One key reason I don’t see in the conversation: A lack of mindfulness can cause dis-traction, loss of focus, and a focus on the negative.
The good news? It’s well known in psychology that mindfulness is a factor of resilience that supports goal achievement.
The fields of psychology and business administration have identified five ways that mindfulness can play a positive role in any work-related environment—and assist in getting past emotional and other roadblocks:
1. Mindfulness helps you see the bigger picture
Mindfulness focuses on examining things from a broader and more neutral perspective. This can help anyone view the messiness of life and work with acceptance and humor. Ironically, when we release the need to micromanage and constantly be in control, we can more easily see and respond to the bigger picture of what is really happening.
2. Mindfulness sharpens creativity and overcomes the fixed mindset
One of the hallmarks of mindlessness—and the inability to problem-solve obstacles—is being stuck in a fixed mindset, which means you are unable to adapt and be creative. Fixed mindsets are pre-determined cognitive beliefs. One example of an unwillingness to see things differently is typified by the worn phrase, “We’ve always done things this way.” Fixed mindsets can cause conflict, fatigue, and burnout. Another form of fixed mindset is a belief in limits—a creativity killer that produces conformity and stifles innovation, flexibility, and productivity.
A belief in limits can make it hard to find novel ways around obstacles. Overcoming any obstacle requires responsive flexibility and creativity, which mindfulness encourages.
3. Mindfulness widens external attention
The term used for mindfulness, as applied to dynamic task environments where decisions occur rapidly and are interconnected, is a ‘wide external breadth of attention.’ When faced with a roadblock, a wide external attention form of mindfulness helps managers (and others) to improvise in the face of unexpected challenges, and to make interdependent decisions in real time, which is to say, “fight fires” and respond to crises.
Successful improvisation in both reaching goals and in business depends on being attentive and alert to what is happening in the here and now.
4. Mindfulness increases awareness of negative self-talk
Mindfulness is an effective means of noticing and interrupting irrational and negative self-talk. Awareness of your inner negative dialogue helps maintain positivity and optimism, rather than focusing on obstacles or failures that are best understood as part of the learning process.
5. Mindfulness addresses communication problems
At its core, mindfulness helps anyone maintain present-moment awareness openly, without defensiveness and judgment. This is essential for communicating and listening to others, as well as minimizing miscommunication.
Conclusion
These five elements are essential ingredients for resilience and reaching goals. Simply Mindful Resilience features 101 daily tools for building resilience that will change your mindset and your experience of obstacles. These mindfulness tools shift one’s focus away from what’s not working; a gentle attitude of acceptance, positivity, and optimism toward goals may be more effective.
Should you risk setting new goals? By all means, yes! Just be sure to bring a supportive and healthy dose of mindfulness and resilience along for the ride.
